My grandmother used to have a saying that you never know what goes on behind closed doors. Though that’s somewhat of a cynical mindset, there’s also a level of truth to it. I don’t know my neighbor’s heart, but I see how she allows her dog to use my lawn as a bathroom. I don’t know your heart, but I see the way you dress, and I can make my own assumptions. The truth is that God knows the heart, and he understands not only what takes place on the outside but also what exists on the inside. Perhaps that’s why David wrote in Psalm 19:14, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.” Worshipping God is an inside out experience where we can’t have just one thing or the other. If we’re not careful, we can watch our words externally while having a rotting heart internally. Likewise, we can be crusty on the outside even though on the inside something different is happening. The life of the one who seeks to worship the Lord must take an all-encompassing, inside out approach. Both what comes out and what’s inside are incredibly important.
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